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THE 

ARNOLD TAVERN 




1760 — 1903 



MORRISTOWN, 



NEW JERSEY 



HISTORY OF - THE ARNOLD 
TAVERN. " MORRISTOWN, N. J. 

AND MANY INCIDENTS CONNECTED WITH GENERAL 

WASHINGTON'S STAY IN THIS PLACE, AS 

HIS HEADQUARTERS IN WINTER OF 

1777. WITH VIEWS OF HISTORIC 

BUILDINGS AND PLACES 

OF REVOLUTIONARY 

INTEREST. 



■J ■ 



CHRONICLE PRESS 

MORRISTOWN, N. J. 



THE LiUBAKY OF 
Two Copies R*c«iv»a 

Copyiifcnt Entiy 

ClXS^ O- XXe. No 

COPY B. 



COPVKICHT BY 

PHILir H. HOFFMAN 

1903 



o P-I 



PREFACE. 



The compiler of this pamphlet was one of the purchasers of 
the "Arnold Tavern" property in July, 1863. Afterward, finding 
he had a somewhat famous property, he commenced collecting and 
preserving all items of interest relating to the history of the " Tav- 
ern," and to General Washington's stay in it while occupying it as 
his Headquarters. 

After the removal of the old building and the erection of a new 
one on the same site, he was urged to put this material in perma- 
nent form for future reference. He then conceived the idea of pub- 
lishing with it illustrations of many old buildings, which are so rap- 
idly being removed, and will soon be lost to view and forgotten. 
Some of these, as the Old County Jail, O'Hara Tavern, Old Powder 
Mill Major Lindsley's House, and others, have been made espe- 
cially for this work, and have never appeared in print before, but 
may be relied upon as being actually correct. 

If the friends of the writer shall be as much interested m the 
reading of this fragment of Revolutionary history as he has been in 
Drenarintr it, he will feel abundantly paid for his trouble. 
^ ^ P, H. H. 

Morris loivn, July, I go J. 




THK OLD ARNOLD T.\VI:RN. 
\Vashin},'ton's Hcadriuartcrs iluriiiK the WiiiUr of 1 777— Morrislow n, X. J. 



THE ARNOLD TAVERN. 



THIS famous building was situated on the north side of what 
is now known as the "Park," formerly known as the 
"Green," in the center of Mornstown. It was used as a 
tavern before and during the Revolutionary War. The many in- 
teresting and notable incidents and events connected with Wash- 
ington's occupancy of the "Tavern," as headquarters, and the patri- 
otic character and public career of the conductor and owner of the 
house, has made it worthy of more than a passing notice. Pre- 
vious to the breaking out of the Revolutionary W^ar, it was kept by 
Thomas Kinney, who was one of the most prominent men of Morris 
County, having been High Sheriff of the county, and a large land 
owner in and about Morristown. There was a large farm attached 
to the "Arnold Tavern" at that time, running back to the Jockey 
Hollow road, and across to Bridge street, now Speedwell avenue. 

Kinney, in connection with Colonel Jacob Arnold, built the 
"Slitting" mill at Speedwell and attempted there a new industry. 
At the commencement of the Revolution, Kinney at once organ- 
ized and equipped a company of Light Horsemen, with which he 
escorted the disloyal Governor Franklin (son of the patriotic Ben- 
jamin Franklin, but he, himself a notorious Tory) to Connecticut, 
and placed him there in the custody of Governor Trumbull, for 
w'hich service he was rewarded by the Legislature. A short time 
afterwards he turned over to his partner. Col. Arnold, both the 
"Tavern" and the command of the Troop; and what was formerly 
known as the "Kinney House," now became the famous "Arnold 
Tavern." The colonel was an ardent patriot, and his troop of 
horsemen were filled with the same spirit. His tavern became the 
rallying point and headquarters for many patriotic and loyal Amer- 



i"l 







THE ARNOLD TAVERN. 



ican citizens and officials of the surrounding- country before, and up 
to the time Washington sought its shelter and made it his headquar- 
ters during the disheartening and severe winter of 1777. This large 
and commodious building was the principal hotel of the place, 
and remained under the ownership and care of Col. Arnold during 
the continuance of the war, and until 1788. The precise time of the 
erection of this building, or by w hom it was built, cannot now be 
ascertained by public records or conveyances, as all deeds and 
mortgages for Morris County prior to 1795 or thereabouts, were 
kept in Trenton, or in the office of the Lords Proprietors at Perth 
Amboy. Tradition says that this honored building was erected by 
the Colonel's father, Samuel Arnold, some time between 1735 and 
1750, and by him conveyed to Colonel Jacob, at a later date. It 
was an imposing structure, three stories in height, divided by a 
wide hall running through the centre, with a front and back par- 
lor on the south side, and barroom, dining room and kitchen on the 
other. A l)road and winding stairway gave an easy ascent to the 
second floor. Washington slept in the second story, in the fronl 
room, over the bar-room; the room adjoining and back of it was 
used as his dressing room. 

Back of that, and over the diniug room and kitchen, was a com- 
modious ball room, in which the Assembly balls were held, and 
there the army Masonic lodge held its meetings during the time 
that Washington made his headquarters in this building, in the 
winter of 1777, and also agam in the winter of 1780. Bed chambers 
tilled up the rest of the house, live of which were in the third story. 
The building stood on a commanding position, facing the "Green," 
on which were situated the court house and jail, on the northeaSo 
corner in front of the present U. S. Hotel. On the other side of the 
road, and almost directly in front of the present parsonage, stood 
the old Presbyterian meeting house, afterwards utilized as a hospital 
for the sick and wounded soldiers. This "Tavern" building stood 
on the sajne spot for about 150 years, and until 1886 when it was 
bought by Mrs. Julia Keese Colles, a patriotic lady of Morristown^ 
as a genuine Revolutionary relic, and for its preservation, it was 
removed to another part of the town, where it now stands as the 
main portion of All Souls' Hospital, having been much changed 
in outward appearance and enlarged. 



THE ARNOLD TAVERN. 



The exig-encies of modern business demanded it-^ (the old 
Arnold Tavern) demolition or removal and it was obliged to give 
way notwithstanding the many memories that clustered around it. 
It was known in its earlier history as the "Kinney Hotel," but more 
familiarly throughout the days of the Revolutionary War, and 
until the present time as the "Arnold Tavern." In 1788. Benjamin 
Freeman was licensed to keep this hotel, and he l)ecame the pro- 



'i.^-^ . 









<\'r: 










THIv old morris CorXTV COI'RT HOrSE .\XI) JAIL. 

Situated o!i the "Green" in 1777. The pillory and stocks appear under the 

tree. 



))rietor in 1791. In 181 1 it passed into the possession of Lewis 
Hayden, who continued as its proprietor until 1834, when James 
Wood and Col. Joseph Lovell became the owners. From 1855 to 
1863 it was kept by Capt. William Duncan, so that successive gen- 
erations have known it as "The Arnold, ' "Freeman," "Hayden," 
and " Duncan House." It is described in 1834, as of two parts; 
the Iront part, 43 feet along the street, 25 feet deep, and three stor- 
ies high; the back part (a vving) 63 feet long, 19 feet wide, and also 



THE ARNOLD TAVERN, 



three stories in heig-hth. Bancroft, in his history of the United 
States, speaks of it as the "Freeman House." Another author 
speaks of it as the "Free Mason House." The Marquis de Chas- 
tellux, in his "Travels in North America" refers to it, in describing 
his travels through New Jersey in 1780 as follows: "I intended 
stopping at Morristown only to bait my horses, for it was but half- 
past two, but in entering the inn of Mr. Arnold, I saw a dining 
room adorned with looking glasses and handsome mahogany fur- 
niture, and a table spread for twelve persons. 1 learned that all 
this preparation was for me, and what affected me more nearly was 
to see a dinner corresponding with appearances ready to serve up. 




ALL SOULS' HOSPITAL. 
Remodeled from the Arnold Tavern. 

I was indebted for this to General Washington, and the precau- 
tions of Colonel O'Mayland, who was sent before to acquaint them 
of my arrival. It would have been very ungracious of me to have 
accepted this dinner at the expense of Mr. Arnold, who is an honest 
man, and who has not a particle in common with Benedict Arnold. 
It would have been still more awkward to have paid for the ban- 
quet without eating it. I therefore instantly determined to dine in 
the comfortable inn." 

Mrs. Colles, in her "Historic Morristown" speaks of Washing- 



THE ARNOLD TAVERN'. 



ton's stay at the "Arnold Tavern" as follows: "\\'ashiny;ton tirst 
came to INIorristown with his staff and army, three days after the 
battle of Princeton, viz: on the 5th of January, 1777, and remained 
until May 7th, of that year. He made his headquarters at the 'Ar- 
nold Tavern' then kept by Colonel Jacob Arnold, a famous officer 
of the 'Light Horse Guards,' whose descendants are still residents 
of Morristown and vicinity, (1892). This historic building stood on 
the north side of the Green, where now a large brick building has 
been erected on its site. The old building with its many associa- 
tions was about to be destroyed, when it was rescued at the sug- 
gestion of the author of this book, and restored, on its present site, 
on the Colles estate, on Mt. Kemble avenue, the old Basking Ridge 
road of the Revolution. It has recently been purchased — 1892 — • 
and occupied by the 'All Souls' Hospital Association.' Though ex 
tended and enlarged, it is still the same building, retains many of 
the distinctive features that characterized it when it was the resi- 
dence of Washington. Here is still the bedroom which Washington 
occupied, the parlor, dining room and the ball room, where he re- 
ceived his generals, Green, Knox, Schuyler, Gates, Lee, DeKalb, 
Steuben. Wayne, Winds, Putnam, Sullivan and others, besides dis- 
tinguished visitors and one of our authors, the Marquis de Chas- 
tellux. In one of the bedrooms of the 'Old Tavern' has been seen, 
within a few years, between the floor and ceiling below% a long case 
for guns, above which was painted on the tloor in large squares, a 
checker board, about which in an emergency, evidently the soldiers 
expected to sit, and so conceal from the enemy, the trap door of 
their arsenal. About this ancient building many traditions linger, 
and from it have gone forth, Washington's commands, and some 
of his important letters." The chief interest connected with this 
building centers on that period of our national history when the 
patriot army was encamped on the hills, and in the valleys about 
Morristown. Washington fought the battle of Trenton, began his 
retreat with masterly strategy from before Cornwallis, engaged the 
British at Princeton on the 3rd of January, and then made his way 
to Morristown, reaching that inspiring place January 5, 1777, en- 
camping his army in winter quarlers.and using the "Arnold Tavern" 
for his own head(]uarters. It was then owned and conducted by 
his aide and paymaster, the intreijid Colonel Jacob Arnold, who. 




GEN. GEORGE WASHINGTON. 



THE ARNOLD TAVERN. 



with his 6(iuadron of Li^ht Horse, rendered most efficient service 
during the Revohitionary War. VVashini,'ton remained here from 
the time of his arrival on Januarys, 1777, until the 7th of May. 
His army was located on and about Fort Nonsense, and scattered 
from Loantaka Valley to the farm houses near Mendham. The 
weather of this winter was severe in the extreme. The soldiers suf- 
fered greatly from the excessive cold, the want ot food, and lack of 
clothing. TheCommander-in Chief was keenly alive to the priva- 
tions of his soldiers, as is fully shown by a private letter, doubtless 
written after his arrival at the "Arnold Tavern." In it he says: 
•' Sometimes the soldiers have been five or six days without bread, 
at others, as many without meat, and two or three times without 
either."' The importance to the young Republic of the many con- 
sultations between Washington and his generals, held in this his- 
toric building cannot be estimated. It is much to be regretted no 
historian with graphic pen was present to reconl the scenes that 
transpired within the walls of tiie " Arnold Tavern" during that 
memorable winter. From this house issued many letters written by 
Washington to Congress, to the Governors of the newly made States, 
to the patriots scattered over the land, urging, persuading, rebuk- 
ing, inspiring, and using every argument within the range of his 
capacious mind to rouse the people to the discharge of duty, and to 
prepare for the opening campaign. It was here that he wrote those 
noble letters to Baron Steuben, Count Pulaski, and the Cheveli-r 
Lu Cerne. Momentous subjects were here debated, great ques- 
tions, affecting the future of the new-born Repul)lic, raised and left 
for settlement in the coming time, for there were wise men gathered 
there who forecasted the ai)pr()aching glory of the United States, 
and fore-saw iheir needs, anticipated their extendetl empire, and 
made provision at that early period for the growth of the Nation 
which should one day hold in its hands the destinies of the world. 
Doubtless here was begun the negotiations which resu led m the 
acquisition by the infant States of the vast Fmpire beyond the Al- 
leghanies. and of the free navigation of the Mi>sissippi. Lu Cerne, 
with teeming brain, was there, even at that early period, with in- 
structions from Spain to negotiate with the American Congress on 
that subject. Here Washington met daily with his aides and otticers 
to consult about the army, to advise with Steuben about its dis- 



THE ARNOLD TAVKRN. 



cipliiie and tactics; with Lafayette, how to briny^ France and the 
revolted colonies nearer to^jfether. Here also came Alexaiuler 
Hamilton, who, though one of the youniifest otlhcers c^f the armv, 
had already been advanced to the rank of colonel, and j^-ave promise 
of g, brilliant future. Dr. J. F. Tnttle, in his "Annals of IM<>rris 
County in the War of the Revolution,'' mentions an anecdote, told 
by Mr. George P. INIcCullough, who had it directly from General 
Doughty, a Revolutionary officer residing in Morristown : '-While 
Washington was residing at the 'Arnold Tavern, 'he had a n<an 
employed to act as a spy. But some circumstance had led Col. 
Hamilton to suspect that the man was carrying news to the enemv, 
and he determined to make some good use of him. Accordinglv, 
when the man called one day at the Colonel's otifice he found Mr. 
Hamilton very busy making out a report for the Commander-ni- 
Chief of the condition of the army. The report was made out with 
great minuteness of detail. Such a division had so many men, and 
such a division had so many more, etc., etc. Then the whole was 
summed up with a splendid aggregate, at least four times as large 
as the actual force. The condition of the magazine was detailed 
in the same manner. Soon after, the suspect-ed spy entered the of- 
fice. Colonel Hamilton pretending to have some errand, e.xcu>ed 
himself, saying he would be back in a few minutes. Apparently 
in his haste, he had left his report lying on the table, and no sooner 
was he gone than the fellow glanced over its pages, and sure that 
he had an invaluable document through the most fortunate chance, 
pocketed it and left for the enemy."' 

General Doughty said it was Hamilton's opinion that this happy 
stroke did not a little to keep the enemy from Morristown at a time 
when the American army was in no condition to receive them. It 
was in this "Arnold Tavern" that Washington wrote those noble 
letters to General Howe, the British commander, denouncing the 
inhuman treatment which patriot officers and men who were ub- 
happy enough to fall into their hands received on board the prison 
ship in the harbor of New York. "And," he said, "did not the 
writer endeavor to obtain a redress of their grievances, he would 
think himself as culpable as those who inflict such severities upon 
them." Their sufferings were really dreadful. One of the prisoners 
on the ship wrote as follows: "The distress of the prisoners can- 



THE ARNOLD TAVERN. 



not be communicated by words. Twenty or thirty of them die 
every day. They lie in heaps unburied; what numbers of my 
countrymen, by cold and hunger, perished for want of the common 
necessaries of life, I have seen. This is the boasted British clem- 
ency. Rather than again experience their barbarity, may I fall by 
the sword of the Hessians." The sufferings of these men received 







3"^ -^ 






THE OU) PRIvSON SHIP "JERSEY." 

She was known as "The Hell," and ii,ooo Americans perished in her of star- 
vation and disease during the Revolution. 

Washington's immediate attention after his arrival in Morristown. 
Many other weighty matters were pressing on the heart and mind 
of the Patriot Commander during that memoral)le winter, most of 
them discouraging and disheartening. Very little sunlight penetrated 
into that building and reached him as he brooded over the perils 
that surrounded him; but he never hesitated, he never quailed, yet 
seldom, very seldom, did he feel disposed to write encouragingly. 
More fre(juently was he compelled to exclaim, as he did on the 
26th of January: "Reinforcements," he said, "come in so extremely 
slow that 1 am afraid that before they arrive I shall be left without 
any men. The enemy must be ignorant of our numbers, or they 
have not horses to move their artillery, or else they would not 
suffer us to remain undisturbed." Gordon, the English historian, 
writes as follows: " By the time that the rebels arrived at Morris- 



THE ARNOLD TAVERN. 



town, they were so extremely fatigued that a fresh and resolute 
body of 500 men might have demolished the whole army. Num- 
bers of them laid down in the woods and fell asleep, regardless of 
the cold weather. At this time the Royal Army in New Jersey 
consisted of at least 10,000 men. And this fatigued and wornout 
army of Washington, consisting of less than 4,000 men at the time 
when they reached Morristown, was the only army that Congress 
then had. And yet no attempts were made to beat up their quar- 
ters, disperse them, and put an end to the rebellion." Gordon did 
not know of what stuff the American army was made. While 
living in the Arnold Tavern, Washington was visited by most of 
the Generals of his army. Hither came Generals Sullivan and Lee, 
"Old Put" as Israel Putnam was familiarly called, came also; Gen- 
erals Wayne and Maxwell here met the commander-in-chief and 
talked over the battle of Trenton and Princeton, from which Wash- 
ington had come directly to Morristown, and discussed that fearful 
march, truthfully named the "Mud March." Here were assem- 
bled those foreign oiticers whose love of liberty had imxpelled them 
to offer themselves for service in the patriotic army, such as the 
Marquis de Lafayette, Baron Steuben, Count Pulaski, and the Chev- 
alier De LuCerne. Here, m this "Arnold Tavern," Washington 
participated in the rites of Free Masonry, so dear to all the lovers 
of the craft, and here he often assisted in conferring the Degrees of 
the Order upon his companions in arms. It has been claimed 
that the General was "made" a mason in the "Arnold Tavern," but 
this is a mistake, and the claim must be abandoned. Mr. Sidney 
Hayden has made a thorough and exhaustive examination of this 
subject, and has settled the question beyond controversy. Wash- 
ington was made an entered apprentice in the Masonic Lodge at 
Fredericksburg, Va., Nov. 4, 1752; passed to the degree of Fellow 
Craft by the same lodge, March 3, 1753, and received the degree 
of Master Mason, Aug. 4th succeeding. The old records of the 
Lodge which contain these facts, the Bible on which he was obli- 
gated, and the seal of the lodge are still in existence. 

The Bible on which his oath of office as the first President of 
the United States was taken in New York, on April 30, 1789, was 
brought from the altar of St. John's Lodge, of New York city, for 
that purpose. Washington loved the Order of Masonry, and met 



THE ARNOLD TAVERN. 



his brother masons at the Lodge as frequently as circumstances 
would permit. While Washington and the other army officers 
were domiciled at the "Arnold Tavern," a grand ball was given by 
them, and the General was the largest subscriber towards defray- 
ing the expenses. It was a high-priced affair, each ticket cost $300 
in Continental money, (which had become much depreciated at 
that time). The ball was held in the ball room of the "Arnold 
Tavern," and caused considerable comment. Tradition informs us 
that the patriotic elders of the Presbyterian Church, shocked by 
the painful contrast between the bare-footed and starving soldiers 
and the festivities of the dancing assembly, remonstrated with the 
Commander-in-Chief for the apparent inconsistency. They were, 
however, silenced by being told that the ball was a grave strategical 
move intended to deceive the British General as to the true situa- 
tion of the American Army, for it was argued that the Royalists 
would say. "if the rebels can be so gay, and at such expense, 
how can they be on the verge of starving, and suffering as has 
been reported to us.'" 

The elders might have ceased criticising, but it is not to be 
believed that they were satisfied, for the contrast between the poor 
suffering privates and the gay dancers who thronged the famous 
ball wa9 too great to be overlooked. It must not, however, be for- 
gotten that the otificers shared with the men in their privations, and 
in the loss and misery occasioned by the depreciation of the paper 
currency issued by Congress. A remark made by a writer of the 
time, fully exhibited the miserable state of the otificers. He said: 
" Many of the otificers look like beggars in their faded and worn- 
out uniforms." Thatcher, in his Military Journal, writes thus in 
a memorial, addressed to the New Jersey Legislature by the officers 
of the line of that State : "Four months' pay of a soldier would not 
procure for his family a single bushel of wheat. The pay of a 
colonel would not purchase the oats for his horse to feed on. Com- 
mon laborers or an express rider receive four times as much in 
reality, as do the American otificers." The influence of Washington 
was constantly exerted to prevent disastrous results to the cause of 
American liberty which was threatened by the need and suffering 
which all the officers experienced We can but wonder continually 
at Washington's courage and serenity, in the midst of such over- 



THE ARNOLD TAVERN. ^3 



Whelming difficulties. He had hardly settled himself in his winter 
quarters when the death of Col. Jacob Ford, Jr., was announced to 
him This loss, great as it was to the public service, was peculiarly 
severe to Washington. Col. Ford was a citizen of Morristown, high 
in the esteem of all, a brave, efficient officer, and of the greatest aid 
to Washington in dealing with any question in which the relations 
between the inhabitants of Morris county were involved. He was a 
valued friend and a trusted adviser of the Commander-in-Chief, who 
sincerely mourned his death. The deceased officer was by the ex- 
press order of his Chief, buried with the honors of war. The descrip- 
tion of these, and of the funeral cortege, is one of the most pic- 
turesque of traditional history. Then came that dreadful scourge, 
the smallpox, which so alarmed the people, and carried off so many 
of the soldiery. The science of that day seemed unable to cope 




BAPTIST CHURCH IN 1776. 

With the terrible disease, and hundreds of brave men fell beneath 
the dreadful plague. The two churches, the Presbyterian and Bap- 
tist, were utilized as hospitals. A large trench was dug in the rear 
of the Baptist Church, where many bodies were buried. Within 
recent years, in the course of the improvement and grading of these 
grounds, the trench was opened and the bones found there were 
carried to the new cemetery and reverently placed in the earth con- 
secrated by this patriotic deposit. On the same day of Col. Ford s 
funeral Washington was taken ill, so says tradition, with quinsy 
sore throat, a malady to which the General was subject, and of 
which he finally died. It was greatly feared that he would not sur- 
vive Mrs. Washington was sent for, and arrived March 15th and 
remained with him until his recovery. When the disease was 



!4 



THE ARNOLD TAVERN 



at its worst, and a fatal termination was feared, he was asked 
who should succeed him in command of the army in case he 
did not recover; unable to speak, he at once pointed to Gen. 
Nathaniel Greene. 

It was during the residence of Washington at the "Arnold 
Tavern" that he joined the members of the Presbyterian Church 




The spot in the dell in rear of Parson Johnes' house, where relij^ious services 

were held and the communion administered to General Washington. 

The churches were used at that time as Army Hospitals. 

in the observance of the Lord's Si.ii:)per. He had asked "Par- 
son Johnes," as he was familiarly call.'d, whether he would be 
permitted to join in the Lord's service, and was assured by the min- 
ister that "Our table is the 'Lord's table,' and we give the 
invitation to all his followers of whatever name." The answer 
being satisfactory to the General. he reverently united with the con- 
gregation in their Sfmi-annual communion service. It is said that 
this was the only occasion in his public career, where he partook 



THE ARNOLD TAVERN. 



15 



of the communion outside of liis ov/n church. The Presbyterian 
Church edifice being used at this time as a hospital for the sick 
soldiers, the congregation was accustomed to meet for divine ser- 
vice in a dell in the rear of the parsonage, then occupied by Rev. 
Dr. Johnes, on Morris street, on the grounds where now stands the 
Memorial Hospital. A group of trees sheltered this dell, and the 
hardy people braved the cold and snow and storm to praise 
God, and invoke His blessing. The fact that Washineton 




The parsonage of Rev. Timothy Johnes, pastor of the Presbyterian Church in 

Morristown while Washington and his army were encamped there 

in 1777 and also in 1779-80. 

had partaken of the Communion in this manner, or even at all, 
has been doubted by some, but its authenticity is abundantly 
proved by evidence which must be admitted to be incontroverti- 
ble. Dr. Johnes confirmed it by direct statement to his grand- 
daughter, who was still living at an advanced age, as recent as 
the summer of 1900, and she has often repeated what her grand- 
father has stated, in conversation with his family and friends, in 
regard to this incident. A prominent citizen of Morristown, de- 



1 6 THE ARNOLD TAVERN. 



scendedfrom one of the leading Revolutionary families, now living, 
adds his testimony. He says: "My aunt, Mrs. Huldah Lindsley, a 
sister of Judge Silas Condict, gave me, in the most distinct and 
definite manner, an account of the communion of General Wash- 
ington with the Presbyterian Church, while the soldiers were en- 
camped at Morristown in 1777. She said that the congregation sat 
out of doors even in winter but were shielded from the winds by 
the surrounding high ground. Benches were placed in a circle, 
the Pastor occupying a central point. In this out-of-door place, 
muffled in their thickest clothing, many of them warmed by foot 
stoves, or other arrangements, with nothing over their heads but 
the winter's sky, the congregation, and among them General 
Washington, partook of the Lord's Supper." The question whether 
Washingto-n did really partake of the communion at Morristown, 
having l!>een a matter of considerable discussion, a well known 
writer took up the matter, in a serids of articles published in the 
New York Independent, February 17-24, 1898, from which we 
quote some facts additional to those already related. The writer 
there says : '■' Samuel H, Cox, D. D,, first attracted attention to 
this subject, having received the account from the Rev. Dr. 
Hillyer, who had it from the lips of Dr. Johnes, himself ; who was 
pastor of the Church at that time. Tlie only denominations, 
having church organizations there, were the Presbyterian and the 
Baptist. It was the custom of the Presbyterian Cliurch to observe 
the communion semi-annually. The church building was used at 
that time as a hospital for the small pox patients The disease 
being alarmingly prevalent in the army and the church having 
been given up to this purpose, the religious services of the con- 
gregation were held on the grounds of the parsonage. According 
to Dr. Hillyer, during the week previous to the communion. Gen- 
eral Wa&hington visited ' Pastor Johnes,' and said to him, ' Do I 
wnderstand the lord's Supper is to be celebrated with you next 
Sunday ? I would learn if it accords with the canons of your 
church to admit communicants of another denomination.' The 
doctor replied; ' Most certainly, ours is not the Presbyterian, but 
the Lord's table, and we hence give the Lord's invitation to all his 
followers of whatever name.' The General replied: 'lam glad 
©f it^ that i& as it ought to be,, but 1 was not quite sure of the fact. 



% 




The old Presb3'terian Church of Morristown as it appeared in the time of the 

Revolutionarj War. 



1 8 THE ARNOLD TAVERN. 



aiul thouo:ht I would ascertain it from yourself, as I propose to join 
with you (Ml that occasion. Although a member of the Church of 
England. I have no e.xclusive partialities." On the ne.xt Sabbath 
the General was present, seated on his own camp stool, brought 
over from the house ('The Arnold Tavern' ) for the purpose, and 
communed with those who were present. 

The Rev. Nicholas Chevalier, of Virginia, stated that some 
years ago, he was informed by Dr. Johnes, a son of Rev. Timothy 
Johnes, that the services were held in an orchard in the rear of the 
parsonage. A great granddaughter of Rev. Timothy Johnes now 
living m Morristown (1898) in a letter to Dr. Buckley says: 'Tt 
has always been the tradition in our family that Washington took 
the communion with the church in a hollou' back of the parsonage 
during the ministry of my great grandfather. Dr. Timothy Jones, 
pastor of the church." An aged and honorable gentlemen now 
living in Morristown, writing on the same subject (January 1898) 
says: "^'An aged lad)', a representative of one of our most respected 
families, iniormed me many years ago that her father, who was 
then a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church, told her that he was 
present on the occasion when General Washington partook of the 
elements at the table and that he himself assisted in the services 
when Washington communed with them. (See N. Y. Indepen- 
dent, January 17-24, 1899, also First Church Record page 42. ) 

The "Arnold Tavern" received its name and acquired its 
fame from its well known and honored proprietor and owner. Col. 
Jacob Arnold, the patriotic captain and aide to General Washington. 
His descendants are numerous and still residents of Morris- 
town and the surrounding country. One of his sons, Mr. 
Silas H. Arnold Ii\ed in Morristown and tlitl business 
until 1883. He is well remembered by the older citizens 
of this place. In speaking of his father he said: "My 
father resided m Morristown as early as 1772, and kejit the 
"Tavern" during the Revolutionary War, and while it was oc- 
cupied by Washington as his headquarters. He said that his father 
often related incidents that occurred there in 1777 in connection 
with the soldiers when they were encamped about Morristown. 
When the war closed, the Cf)lonel had a large amount of Continen- 
tal money stored away, which had been received at the Tavern. 



THE ARNOLD TAVERN. I 9 



He was a man of substance, highly respected, and had served in 
several ot^ces of trust and honor, being at one time High 
Sheriff of Morris County, and for many years a trustee of 
the Presbyterian Church of Morristown. He was also a member of 
St. Tammany Society (an army organization) as is proven by his 
certificate of membership, now (1894) in the possession of his 
grandson, Mr. Isaac G. Arnold, a copy of which is here given: 
ST. TAMMANY SOCIETY, NO. i. 
This is to certify that Capt. Jacob Arnold, is a mem- 
ber of the Society of the Sons of St. Tammany. 

, In witness of which, I have hereunto 

( I affixed my hand and Public Seal at 

"j ( Jersey Camp, the first day of May, in 

"- — t • the year of our Lord 1782. 

Attest: J. W. CUM MINGS, 

Eben Elmer, President. 

Secretary. 
His father, Samuel Arnold, emigrated from Connecticut in 
1730 and settled in Washington Yalley three miles north of Morris- 
town, where he bought three hundred acres of land from William 
and Richard Penn. This purchase included the farm where Silas H. 
Arnold (his grandson) now lives (February 1886). 

It is said that he brought from Connecticut the first sleigh ever 
used in New Jersey. Among his chattels which came with him, 
was a slave, known as "Aunt Jenny," who lived to be over one 
hundred years old. Col. Jacob Arnold was twice married, and had 
a large familv of children. He was buried in the graveyard of the 
First Presbyterian Church of Morristown, where the head stone at 
his grave, together with that of his father and his grandfather and 
those of his wives, may still be seen (1900). The Arnold family 
are of English origin, tracing their ancestry to Somersetshire, as 
far back as 1460. The family name is very extensive in this 
country, being found in all states of the union. Col. Arnold was 
born Dec. 14, 1749, married, — first to Elizabeth Tuttle of Morris 
County, Oct. ist, 1770. She died May 7th, 1803. The Colonel's 
second wife was Sarah H. Nixon, born Oct. i, 1783. They were 
married Dec. 14, i8i 7. The Colonel died March i, 1827, his 
second wife surviving him until April 19, 1843. Col. Jacob's 



20 THE ARNOLD TAVERN. 



father, Samuel Arnold, was born Nov. 5. 1727- and married Phehe 
Ford, dauK^hter of Colonel Jacob Ford, Oct. 16, 1748. She died in 
her 91st year Auj:ust 2, i8ig. The date of the birth of the j^^rand- 
father, Stephen, cannot be ascertained. He died February, 1754. 

His wife. Rachel , was born Feb. 21, 1697, and died July ist, 

1786. He. with his family, came from Woodbridge, N. J., to 
Whippany, (then called Whippanong) in 1715, and buying- a farm, 
they became permanent residents in their new home. Col. Jacob 
Arnold lived to a good old age, and passedaway. His life had been 
an eventful one ; he had survived many a battlefield, where he had 
battled, risking his life for liberty and his country. The Colonel 
being a member of the Board of Trustees of the Presbyterian 
Church, they were in the habit of meeting at his "Arnold 
Tavern," for the transaction of their regular business while the 
church was used as a hospital for the soldiers. 

Some matters of importance connected with the church and 
in which the general government was interested were transacted at 
some of these meetings. At one time Moore Freeman, Deputy 
Quarter M ister General of the State, applied for leave to erect a 
storehouse for the use of the continental army on the parsonage 
lot, "next to Dr. TuthilTs," which was granted. In 1781 at a 
meeting of the Board of Trustees, at the same place, it was agreed 
to purchase the "Continental House," at a vendue on the next 
Thursday, for the use of the parish, and to settle with the deputy 
Q. M. G. for the rent of the lot on which this house stood. (See 
First Church Record.) 

The Brit'sh army had long been desirous (jf reaching Moriis- 
town. There were several inducements that had led their leaders 
greatly to desire possession of Morris County. Farly in the year 
1776 Colonel Jacob Ford. Jr., had built a powder mill on the Whip- 
ponong (Whippany) river, ami was making considerable quantities 
of this much needed article. The Provisional Congress endeavored 
to have him increase his supply — as we learn from the "Boteler 
papers" in the possession of the New Jersey Historical Society. 
They agreed to loan him /'2,ooo of the public money for one year 
(on his giving satisfctory security for the same), to be repaid in 
"good merchantable" powder at the rate of one ton per month. 
His "good powder " did good service in many a battle, arid that 



THE ARNOLD TAVERN. 



was one reason why the enemy was so anxious to reach Morris- 
town. 

Colonel Benoni Hathaway, who was in charge, took good care 
to give the impression to the British emissaries and Tories in and 
about Morristown that great quantities of powder were daily being 
carted from the mill down by the river to the Government Magazine 
by the "Green" at the head of South street. It is said that when 
the powder ran short, Colonel Hathaway filled his kegs and barrels 



'■■A 







FORD'vS POWDER MILL— 1776. 

with sand and sent them under a strong guard to the Store-House, 
to keep up the appearance of the usual supply. 

At the head of the foot road, or bridle-path, leading from the 
powder mill to Morris avenue (the "old Elizabefh-Town Pike")., 
stood the Major Lindsley house. Attached to this was a large, old- 
fashioned Dutch bake-oven, where the good patriotic women of 
the household furnished great quantities of good, wholesome bread 
daily to the hungry and faithful soldiers stationed as guards about 
the Headquarters. The men at the mill and the women at the 
house were always fearing a raid from the British. They were 
greatly surprised one night to hear the tramping of horses, and on 



THK ARNlM.I) T.WKR.V. 



looking out were alarmed at seeing- a large company in full uniform 
surrounding- the house, and on incjiiiring what was wanted, they 
ilemanded to be shown the way to the powder mill. 'I'he men of 
the household being in the army, these patriotic women were in a 
quandary. But after considerable parleying they were satisiied that 
the horsemen were fiiends, and not foes, and had really been sent 
by General Washington to guard the mill and the bake-house from 
the dreaded British raiders. One of the women, on being urged by 













-_.. .^^Lj7:fx-_:jk_i-A^^ 



A.. I 







;i" "--^ 



ijXDSijvv iiorsiv— xi-:ar powdi-ir mill. 

the horsemen, bravely consented to go ahead on foot ami lead them 
through the dark and almost imi^enetrable thicket to the mill. The 
friendly guard proved to be a jiortion of Colonel Jacob ArnoUl s 
"Flying Horsemen," who were acting as Washington's l)<)dy-guard, 
and had been sent by him to <lefeat a party of British raiders said 
to be on their way to blow u|) and destroy the powder works. 

If Colonel Kord desired his mill to be secure from intruders, the 
sjiot was well chosen, for to this day it is a very diflicult task to 
force your way down the ravine, through the thicket to the lonely 
and well-hidden place. Recently the wiiter, accompanied by a 



THE ARNOLD TAVERN. 



23 



descendant of IVIajor Lind^sley, who has lived near there all his 
days, traversed the thicket, traced out the old mill race, and located 
the site of the mill between the two large buttonwood trees which 
tradition says stood near each end of it. The track of the old 
wagon road is still plainly to be seen as it follows up the bank of 
the river, and at that time came out on the main road to Morris- 
town about one hundred yards east of the headquarters. 

Early in December 1779, Washington came once more to 
make Morristown the home and winter quarters for himself and his 
well tried and patriotic army. A number of his Generals sought \\ 



.^'- i^ 








, . TTj jf^^ rpropwi tjpw* 




THE O'HARA TAVERN, MORRISTOWN. 

Many of the officers of the army were located here in the winter of 1777 and 

also in 1779-80. 



the friendly shelter and comfortable rooms of the "Arnold Tavern.' 
Others were located at the well known O'Hara Tavern situated at 
the head of South street. Washmgton himself, on the invitation of 
his old friends, went direct to what is now known as the " Head- 
quarters." Col. Jacob Ford, Jr., had erected an elegant mansion, 
a short time before his death on the "Elizabeth Pike, "in the eastern 
part of the town. It was located on an eminence, in a beautiful and 
commanding position, and was altogether the most commodious and 
attractive dwelling in the vicinity. Mrs. Theodosia Ford, a daughter 
of the Rev. Dr. Johnes, and the widow of Col. Ford, occupied the 
house. She received the Commander-in-Chief, and welcomed him 



24 



THE ARNOLD TAVERN. 



with stately grace, and hearty cordiality to its hospitality. It was 
then, and until its purchase by the Washington Association, known 
as the "Ford mansion." and was occupied by some member of the 
Ford family, until the Association took possession and utilized it 
for their purposes ; since then it has been called "The Head- 
quarters." It is situated on the east side of Morris avenue, about 
three quarters of a mile from the "Green." It was during this stay 
of Washington in Morristown in the winter ot 1779-80 that a very 
interesting and noteworthy event occurred. It was the meeting of 
the Military Union Lodge of Free Masons, to celebrate the Feast of 
St. John the Evangelist. Dec. 27, 1779, in the ball room of the 




The Col. Ford Mansion, occupied by Gen. Washington as headquarters in the 

winter of 1779-80. 

'Arnold Tavern." A well known writer speaks of it as follows: 
"The presence of Washington, the patriotic character of the reso- 
lutions adopted, and the number of distinguished officers who 
took part made it peculiarly noteworthy. It was probably the 
first meeting of the order in town, and we can imagine with 
what curiosity the gathering at the "Arnold Tavern," and the 
stately procession from thence across the public green to the 
" Old Church " were witnessed by the people, and what an as- 
semblage of citizens and soldiers tilled the sacred building to 
hear the "polite discourse" ot Doctor Baldwin. The Continental 
army had arrived in Morristown again in the winter of 1779-80, 



THE ARNOLD TAVERN. 



and proceeded to build their huts on the Kemble and Wick 
farms, between Morristown and Basking Ridge. Washino-ton took 
up his residence at the Ford Mansion, and the officers were 
quartered at the "Arnold Tavern" and various other houses 
about the village. Almost immediately (on Dec. 15) the Masonic 




The Norris Tavern, in Morristown, where Gen. Benedict Arnold was tried by 

Court Martial. The building is still standing (April, 1903) corner 

of Water and Spring streets. 

brethren came together and held a meeting at Col. Gray's quarters 
to elect officers, and to prepare for the coming "Festival of St. 
John, the Evangelist." The meeting for this celebration, for 
which so much preparation had been made, was held in the 
"Arnold Tavern," on the north side of the "Green," which had 



26 THE ARNOLD TAVERN. 



been Washington's Headquarters in the winter of 1777, and which 
was still much frequented by all the army officers. The celebrated 
dancmg assembly for which $13,600 in Continental scrip was 
raised, was held in the ball room of this popular hotel, and 
here the army held their lodge. At this time, the general Court 
Martial for the trial of General Benedict Arnold was holding its 
sessions at the "Dickerson Tavern, "(still standmg 1903,) a large two 
story double house, known as the "Yellow House." corner of 
Water and Spring streets, the owner being in the army, it was 
kept by Robert Norris. The entry in the minutes of the army 
Lodge on Dec. 27, 1779, shows that this court met only to ad- 
journ, for six of its members, as well as the Judge Advocate General, 
John Lawrence, were of the Masonic Fraternity, and more 
agreeable business was- on hand that day. The secretary, in his 
book of minutes and proceedings, gives a very full account of 
this meetuig. — Extract from an article by E. D. Halsey. 

The following is an extract from these minutes. "Morris- 
town, Dec. 27. 1779. — An Entered Apprentice Lodge was held this 
day, for the celebration of the festival of St. John the Evangelist, 
nearly the whole number that were present were officers of the 
army, including Gen'l Washington himself." (A full account of 
the meeting, with a complete list of names of persons present, 
is then given by the Secretary of the Lodge.) 

The winter of 1779-80 passed away, the opening of spring 
took Washington, his officers and his army away to more active 
service. The "Arnold Tavern" and the "Headcjuarters" settled 
down to their usual quietness. In the course of a few years the 
war closed and Washington and his army returned no more. The 
"Arnold Tavern" stately and memorable remained for many years, 
a memento of the days of yore. But the time came when it must 
give way to modern exigencies. It was in the center of the city, 
one of its best business sites and so a change must come. In 
April, 1886, the erection of the present beautiful edifice, occupying 
the exact grounds on which the Old Tavern had stood, was begun 
by the owners, H. O. Marsh and P. H. Hoffman, and by the open- 
ing of fall, was ready for occupancy. The old inhabitants regarded 
the former structure with veneration, and were sad to see it re- 
moved, but they did not feel that regret at its removal that they 



28 THE ARNOLD TAVERN. 



woulil have felt if it had been demolished. It was still to remain, 
and, although changed, it would yet gladden their eyes as they 
passed by it, and thought of it in its present position, devoted to 
the purposes of true philanthropy. At the time of its removal. 
"The Jerseyman" newspaper occupied the adjoining building. 
The next issue of that paper made the following comments: "The 
big elm tree ne.xt to us, has been cut down to make room for the 
exit of the "Arn )kl Tavern" building which started off to leave us 
yesterd ly afternoo.), and the beginning of its travels was witnessed 
by quite a large number of people It was necessary to brace it 
up very strongly in order to keip it together on its long and trying 
journey of one ani a half miles to its new home, for old age has 
made it somewhat shaky, although built entirely of oak timber, 
but beuig a genuine relic of so honorable a name, it was well 
worthv such a careful removal With it is removed another of the 
very few re/naining buiUlings that saw the Revolutionary war. On 
its floor Washington trod many a time, and at its bar. many a 
soldier doubtless drank to the success of ttie rebellion, and to 
the confusion of the "Ketl Coats. " What stories the (^Id house could 
tell, if it could talk, of the scenes it had witnessed ! We part with 
it. not without regret, as it was a respectalile old neighbor, and 
Venerable because of its age and the historical associations con- 
nected with it. But we will gladly welcome the fine new structure 
that is to take its place and which will be a great improvement to 
this part of the town." — Jerseyman, April i6. 1886. 

This history of the "Arnold Tavern" was begun at the recjuest of 
different persoius who are interested in all tiiat relates to the his- 
tory of Morristown, and to Washington's stay in this historic place 
during the dark and discouraging winter of 1777. Some matters, 
which at first sight might seem irrevelent to the main subject, 
have been introduced into the stor/, but it is believetl that the 
flescendants of those who tof)k part with Washington in establishing 
American independence will not regret the presence of these facts. 
The inciilents have been drawn from many sources, and it is be- 
lieved that they are as accurate as it is possible to make them. 
The writer having owned and occupied the "Arnold Tavern" 
property since I863, and having been in possession of the old 
deeds, and papers relating to the ownershij) and history of the 
property, is able to verify many of the statements made in this 
article 







rl -'^ ' ! '-f \>lll^4'^ 




The Speedwell Iron Works where Col. Jacob Arnold and Kinney estab- 
lished their iron works in 1776-7, and where the first steam engine was built 
that crossed the ocean, and where the first telegraph was made and operated 
by IMorse & Vail. At vSpeedwell, near Morristown, N. J. 



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